Reviewed and updated October 11, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Sterling, Illinois, in Whiteside County, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Sterling starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of Whiteside County and a license case before the Secretary of State, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Sterling public records, Whiteside County DUI, Sterling arrest records, Sterling warrants, Sterling inmate search, Sterling criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The DUI Law in Illinois
In Illinois the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Illinois is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Secretary of State, separately from the criminal case.
Illinois sets no time limit on prior offenses: every earlier conviction counts toward a repeat charge.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Sterling
The Whiteside County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Sterling (filed by the FBI as Sterling Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Sterling.
Together, the six agencies in Whiteside County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,958 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Whiteside County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Sterling
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office, held about 54 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at whitesidecountyil.gov/294/Sheriff, phone 815-772-4044. The Sterling inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Circuit Court of Whiteside County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at whitesidecountyil.gov/295/States-Attorney, phone 815-772-5194.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at whitesidecountyil.gov/216/Circuit-Clerk, phone 815-772-5188.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Secretary of State. The driving record, kept by the Illinois Secretary of State, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the Circuit Court of Whiteside County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Sterling arrest records and Sterling court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Sterling heard?
In the Circuit Court of Whiteside County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at whitesidecountyil.gov/216/Circuit-Clerk.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Sterling held?
At the county jail, run by the Whiteside County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Illinois?
The Secretary of State, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Illinois?
There is no time limit; every prior conviction counts.
Is this the official Sterling website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.